PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ALGERIA

MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

UNIVERSITY OF GHARDAIA ‫جامعة غرداية‬

FACULTY OF LETTERS AND LANGUAGES ‫كلية اآلداب و اللغات‬
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH ‫قسم اللغة اإلنجليزية‬

Module: Grammar of the Language Level & Semester: L1 (Gs 1+3)/ (S1)
Teacher: Ms. ALLAOUI Academic Year: 2024/25

Lecture (2/a): Articles

I. Definition:
Articles are words that precede nouns to identify whether they are specific or general.
They are divided into two kinds; definite and indefinite.

II. The Indefinite Articles (a/an):

A/an goes only with a singular noun. With a plural or an uncountable noun we use
some. When the word after the article starts with a consonant sound, we use (a). (An) is
used with words that start with vowel sounds.
 When a story mentions A man booked into a hotel in Cheltenham.
something for the first time, the
noun has a or an:
 When it is not clear which one In the office a phone was ringing.
we mean: ( The office has lots of phones.)
Tom sat down on a chair.
( We don’t know which chair.)
Do you have a car?
( not a particular car)
 We also use A man/Someone booked into a hotel.
someone/something when we He left a case/something behind.
aren't saying which one:
 A phrase which describes It was a lovely day.
something has a/an: Cheltenham is a nice old town.
It's a big hotel.
This is a better photo.
 We also use a/an to classify The play was a comedy.
something, to say what kind of The man's disappearance was a mystery.
thing it is:
 We use a/an to say what My sister is a secretary.
someone's job is: Nick is a car salesman.
He is a doctor.

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  A/an and one both refer to Henry gave the taxi driver a note. (not a coin)
one thing. Using one puts more Henry gave the taxi driver one note. (not two)
emphasis on the number: We'll be in Australia for one (or a) year.
Wait here for one (or a) minute, and I'll be with you.
 We use one in the pattern Close one eye, and then the other.
one...other / another: Bees carry pollen from one plant to another.
 We usually use one (not a/an) One question/One of the questions in the exam was
when we mean one of a larger more difficult than the others.
number: The team wasn't at full strength. One player/One of the
players was injured.
 We also use one in phrases Hope to see you again one day.
such as one day, one evening, One evening, while he was working late at the office ...
one spring, etc., to mean a
particular, but unspecified day,
evening, spring, etc.:
 We use a/an, not one, in three times a year
number and quantity expressions half an hour
such as: a quarter of an hour
a day or so (= about a day)
a few, a little, a huge number of…
 A/an is used to express A dog makes a wonderful pet.
general meaning: An orange contains vitamin C.
A butcher is someone who sells meat.
 A/an is used in exclamations! What a lovely day!

III. The Definite Article (the):

The goes with both singular and plural nouns and with uncountable nouns.
 When the same thing is A man booked into a hotel in Cheltenham. The man didn't
mentioned again, the noun has return to the hotel.
the:
 We use the when it is clear I was in bed when the phone rang.
which one we mean: ( the phone in my house)
Tom sat on the chair nearest the door.
( We know which chair)
I cleaned the car yesterday.
( my car; specific)
Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
( the bathroom of the restaurant/the house)
 We use the + noun or The man/He didn't return to the hotel.
he/she/it when we know which The case/It contained clothes.
one:
 When there is only one of the The sun was going down.
things we are talking about: The government is unpopular.

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 A drive in the country would be nice.
We shouldn't pollute the environment.
We say: the country(side), the earth, the moon, the
ozone layer, the Prime Minister, the sea(side), the sky,
the weather…
 With cinema, theatre, I read about the accident in the (news)paper.
movies, radio and (news) paper I try to go to the cinema at least once a week. (= cinema
when we are referring to them in in general)
general or specifically: We usually go to the cinema in New Street. (= a specific
cinema)
We’ve heard the news in the radio.
BUT, we saw the news on television. (Ø article)
 With superlatives and It's the biggest hotel in town.
ordinals: This is the best photo.
He ranked the first in the race.
 Some nouns are commonly In the middle of his speech he started to cough
used in the pattern the...of... to uncontrollably.
refer to a particular place, time,
etc., including back, beginning,
bottom, end, middle, side, top:
 With a plural or uncountable The books you ordered have arrived.
noun when we are talking about All the information you asked for is in this file of papers.
specific things or people:
 With a singular countable The novel is the most popular form of fiction writing, (or
noun to talk about the general Novels are...)
features or characteristics of a The customer has a right to know where products are
class of things or people rather made, (or Customers have...)
than one specific thing or person:
 When there are two people That's not the Stephen Merchant I went to school with.
with the same name and we want
to specify which one we are
talking about:

 When we talk about a family The Robinsons went on a trip this weekend.
as a whole:
 With winter, summer, In (the) summer I try to spend as much time in the garden
spring, autumn, and New Year as I can.
(meaning the holiday period), we In Scotland, they really know how to celebrate (the) New
can often use either the or zero Year.
article (Ø):
 Before some collective nouns The British, the Italians, the Conservatives, the
referring to a whole group of electorate, the Algerians…
people, including nationalities
and political parties:

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  Before some adjectives used the disabled, the poor, the unemployed, the elderly…
without a noun to refer to a
group in society:
 Before parts of the day: In the morning, in the afternoon, the evening, the night…
 Before names of newspapers, The Mayflower, the Daily Mail, the Economist, the
magazines, ships, rivers, deserts, National Union of Teachers, the Nile, the U.S., the
islands, seas and oceans, Sahara, the Pacific, the Bahamas, the Netherlands, the
mountains, countries…: north…
 With musical instruments Natasha can play the piano, the violin and the
when we are talking about saxophone.
playing them.
 When we mean specific The school is a mile from here.
buildings: (= the school building)
The meeting was at the college.
 With phrases of time and It was the Friday before she went to Australia.
meals if they are specific: That was the year I was born.
I started work here the Easter before last.
The storm was on the Thursday of that week.
We went surfing at the weekend.
The supper David cooked was excellent.
The meal was very nice.

IV. Zero Article (Ø):

In some situations, no article is needed.
 With plural and uncountable Books are very important. (NOT The books are…)
nouns in a general sense: Water is essential for life. (NOT The water…the life)
 when we give a person's job She's been appointed (the) head of the company.
title, or their unique position, we Adam has been chosen (the) leader of the team.
use the or zero article:
 After the position of, the post Dr Simons has taken on the position of Head of
of, or the role of we use zero Department.
article before a job title:
 We sometimes use some or 'Where were you last week?' 'I was visiting (some)
zero article with very little friends.'  little difference whether it is specific with
difference in meaning: ‘some’ or general with ‘Ø article’
Before serving, pour (some) yoghurt over the top.
It'll be cold up in the hills, so bring (some) warm clothes.
Before the names of particular President Obama is to make a statement later today.
people: The name of Nelson Mandela is known all over the world.
 With institutions such as They say he'll have to stay in hospital for six weeks.
hospital, university, prison… School should be a place where children are taught to
being used for their intended enjoy learning.
purpose:

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 With the names of holidays, Easter, Ramadan, New Year's Day, September, Monday
special times of the year, or with We met on Saturday.
the names of months and days of
the week:
 we use zero article with at I don't like driving at night.
night, by night, midnight, If possible, I'd like it finished by midday.
midday, and noon:
 When we talk about meals: What have we got for dinner?
I don't like drinking coffee at breakfast.
 With next/last + week: Let’s meet next week. (NOT …the next week)
 With by + means of Did you go by train? (NOT…by the train)
transportation:
 With space, when we mean There are millions of stars in space.
space in the universe: Compare  He wanted to park his car, but the space was
not enough.
 With names of continents, Africa (NOT the Africa), Asia, Europe, Japan, Algeria,
countries, states, towns, villages, Britain (BUT the United Kingdom), New York, Virginia,
regions, mountains, lakes, western Germany, eastern Canada, Mount Fuji, Lake
streets, airports, shops, Victoria, Hyde Park, Fifth Avenue, Heathrow Airport,
universities…: Oxford University, Gucci, Walmart …

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 References

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Practice book for advanced learners of english. Cambridge University Press.

Murphy, R. (2007). English grammar in use: A reference and practice book for Intermediate

students of english. Cambridge University Press.

Naylor, H., & Murphy, R. (1996). Essential grammar in use supplementary exercises.

Cambridge University Press.

Powell, D., Walker, E., & Elsworth, S. (2011). Grammar practice for Upper Intermediate

Students: With key. Pearson-Longman.

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